A Rover's Worst Nightmare
by MysticMadameRover23
Summary: When our nightmares become reality, what will one Rover have to break the psyche-altering abilities of one evil little girl? *NOTE* (MY OWN PLOT AND ORIGINAL CHARACTER ASSOCIATIONS NO FLAMING PLEASE) (ALSO, BEWARE FOR EXTREME VIOLENCE AND MILD REFERENCES TO TORTURE) *THIS STORY WILL NOT BE CONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER REVISIONS ARE MADE*
1. Chapter 1

"_**What we think cannot happen to us… can become our worst nightmare…"**_

The Rovers had just succeeded in ridding Iran of their nuclear weapons and warheads and causing many Muslim nations to sign a treaty stating: any issue of war with the nation of Israel is null and void and will not be pursued any further unless a clear cause for war is stated.

As the Sonic Rover came closer to Headquarters, Master's face appeared on the View-Comm screen.

"Yet another successful mission, my pets… you have definitely accomplished the impossible… a permanent cease-fire treaty and ridding Iran of many dangerous weapons. You're all good dogs… good, good dogs…" Master praised.

"Just doing what we do best, Mastah…" Jersey said.

"Da…! Now, we do not have to be doing the worrying over Iran country," Exile added.

"Come on home, Rovers... Professor Hubert and I will meet you in the medical bay," Master said as he signed off.

"To the power of the pack…!" Hunter rallied

"AAAARRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO…!" All the Rovers howled in response.

"You know… we should celebrate this vict'ry. I mean, when's the last time we did somethin' this bloomin' huge?" Colleen spoke out.

"Ja… Dhis has to be vun of dhe most important missions ve have ever accomplished," Blitz agreed.

"Da… what were you having in mindski, Comrade?" Exile asked.

"Well… the thought did cross me mind about a camp-out on the beach tonight… what do you all think?" Colleen asked.

"Sounds like a fabulous idea tah me, Colleen…" Jersey agreed.

"Yeah… I like it! Rovers, what's the vote?" Hunter said.

"I'm inski!" Exile said happily.

"Ja, I second dhat…" Blitz agreed.

"Reah…! Ra RAHH rah…!" Shag said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Ya already got me sold, Sistah!" Jersey said.

Muzzle issued a few happy barks as he bounced up and down on his four legs.

"It's settled then… beach camp-out here we come!" Hunter said as he initiated the vertical landing sequence.

The Sonic Rover landed perfectly on the outer landing pad and began its descent into the underground vehicle hangar. Master Shepherd, Professor Hubert, and the Doberman family were awaiting their arrival as they watched the large jet lock into its parking spot.

As the mouth of the canine-like plane opened, the Rovers descended out and made their way to their Master to debrief.

"Welcome home, Rovers!" Master Shepherd greeted.

"Thank you, Master!" Everyone responded.

"Ve are so glad you're all safe," Frieda said.

"Ja…! I'm so proud to know dhat peace finally reigns over dhere," Weis added.

"Indeed…! Rovers, let's get you checked out so you can relax," Master said.

"Master, we were wondering if we could camp out on the beach tonight… sort of a celebration of completing this mission," Hunter asked.

"I think that sounds like a great idea, Hunter," Master said.

"Ve can set up for you vhile you all get checked out…" Abel offered.

"That would help lots, Comrade," Exile said.

"Let's go boys, you know the drill…" Professor Hubert said as he motioned for them to follow him to the exam rooms.

"We know, Professor… coming…" Hunter acknowledged.

"Ladies, same for you…" Master Shepherd said as he stepped away pointing down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Yes, Master…" Colleen obeyed as she and Jersey went to their accustomed exam rooms.

About an hour later, the Rovers had been released from the medical bay and were gathering their beach gear from their rooms.

"This was a great idea, Colleen. What made you think of it?" Hunter asked as he pulled one of his navy blue T-shirts over his head.

"After what we've 'ad to endure… a cool evening by the ocean sounds like the perfect way to wind down," Colleen answered from just inside their bathroom as she stepped into her red bathing suit.

"Yeah, I think I still have a layer of sand under my fur," Hunter said, cinching his knapsack closed.

"Well, tha'll soon be remedied…" Colleen said as she stepped out in her red one-piece and knee length white sarong.

Hunter's eyes trailed up and down his wife's lean, curvaceous form as she gathered her head fur back into a ponytail. Before Colleen noticed, Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

"You're so beautiful…" Hunter whispered as he drew her closer.

"I love you, 'untie…" Colleen responded as she kissed his cheek.

"Are we in a "rush" to get outside…?" Hunter asked with a mischievous smile.

Colleen turned around where she was facing Hunter and saw the familiar look of romance written all over his face. She felt her face flush as the rush of desire flowed through her body.

"I don't think we 'ave to be out there right away…" Colleen said with a wink.

Hunter smiled as he drew her face close and kissed her lips softly.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Rovers had set up their tents and were enjoying the roaring fire Exile had created.

Shag was busy preparing dinner on the outdoor wood grill, anxious to try out a recipe he saw on one of his favorite cooking shows: grilled steak and shrimp skewers marinated in lime and orange juice and seasoned with cayenne, garlic, and salt along with roasted corn on the cob.

Blitz and Jersey were seated by the fire with a mug of peppermint tea to soothe their energy fields from their previously exhausting mission. Jersey laid her head against her husband's strong chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Weis and Frieda were also enjoying the warmth of the fire as the sun began to set.

Exile had strung up his hammock between two palm trees and had his nose stuck into a book as the gentle swaying of his fabric swing relaxed his strained muscles.

Brutus and Abel were racing along the shoreline on their boogie boards while Greta and Elise searched the shallow waters for seashells and other treasures.

Master Shepherd and Professor Hubert relaxed by the fire with a mug of coffee Master had prepared near the fire.

Muzzle was poised by the grill Shag was tending, waiting for an early taste test before dinner. Shag noticed the Rottweiler sitting patiently waiting and slid a piece of steak off of one of the skewers and handed it to him. Muzzled gently took it from the Sheepdog's paw and swallowed the juicy piece of beef.

"Hey Muzzle! How's dinner taste?" Hunter said as he saw the Rottweiler licking his lips.

Muzzle bounced up and down assuring the retriever of what to look forward to. Hunter smiled as he and Colleen began setting up their tent next to Blitz and Jersey's.

"I was beginnin' tah wondah if you two were comin' out…" Jersey said with a laugh.

"Ja… vhat happened…? Did you lose your trunks?" Weis added.

"Maybe we did lose track of the time a bit…" Colleen explained, trying to keep from blushing.

Jersey and Frieda tried to keep from giggling, knowing good and well why they were later in coming outside. Blitz and Weis just shrugged their shoulders, knowing they had no idea what would be so hilarious.

Hunter secured the last tent peg and held out his arms for Colleen to pass him their sleeping bags. Colleen crawled inside with him as the made their beds for the night before joining the others.

"Raa Raaah!" Shag said ringing a large cowbell signaling dinner was ready.

Everyone gathered around the fire as Shag passed around plates piled high with the perfectly grilled meat and corn.

"Wow Shag! This looks great!" Jersey praised.

"If smell matches appearance I believe ve are all in for a great meal," Brutus said.

"Rawww… raah ra rah raah…" Shag said, humbly accepting his friends' compliments.

After filling Muzzle's bowl and his plate, he joined the others around the fire. With a word of thanks over their safe return and a wonderful evening, everyone dug into the mound of beef and shrimp.

"Oh my… dhis is delicious," Elise said as she swallowed another bite of shrimp.

"Indeed, you truly have an amazing talent, Shag," Master Shepherd said.

"How do you do it, Shag?" Colleen asked, amazed.

Shag just shrugged as he continued to enjoy his meal as if to say he just enjoys to cook, simple as that.

Peaceful silence followed as the Rovers filled their stomachs and enjoyed the serene setting. Life couldn't get much better.

After everyone finished and cleared their dishes, everyone gathered back around the roaring fire. The sound of the ocean water lapping at the shore was the only sound heard.

"Amazing dhe music dhat creation has…"Greta said.

"Speaking of music…Hunter, Exile, did you by chance bring your instruments down?" Blitz asked.

"Yeah… hang on…" Hunter replied as he leaned back into his and Colleen's tent to retrieve his guitar.

"Da… let me get her," Exile said as he walked back over to his hammock for his violin.

"It has been so bloomin' long since we've been able to hear you gents play," Colleen said.

"I know it. I think my poor guitar had a layer of dust an inch thick when I got it out earlier," Hunter said as he ran his fingers over the strings and adjusted the frets.

"I am agreeing, Comrade. You know it is being long time when spider webbing almost covers case," Exile added as he ran his bow over the strings.

"Wow…" Abel commented.

"Any requests…?" Hunter asked with a smile.

"'ow about 'In Christ Alone'…?" Colleen asked.

"Ready, girls…?" Frieda asked.

All the females nodded, ready for the start off. Hunter and Exile got into the right key and began the intro to one of everyone's favorite songs:

"In Christ alone, my hope is found…He is my Light, my Strength, my Song… this Cornerstone, this Solid Ground…firm through the fiercest drought and storm…" all the girls began.

"What heights of love, what depths of peace… when fears are stilled, when strivings cease," Greta sang.

"My Comforter, my All in All… here in the love of Christ I stand," Greta and Elise sang together.

"In Christ alone, who took on flesh…fullness of God in Helpless Babe…this Gift of Love and Righteousness…scorned by the ones He came to save…" all the boys continued.

"Till on that cross as Jesus died… the wrath of God was satisfied…" Abel's baritone voice resounded.

"For every sin on Him was laid… here in the death of Christ I live…" Abel and Brutus harmonized.

"There in the ground His body lay… Light of the world by darkness slain…then bursting forth in glorious day… up from the grave He rose again…" everyone sang.

"And as He stands in victory… Sin's curse has lost its grip on me…" Weis and Frieda belted out.

"For I am His and he is mine… bought with the precious blood of Christ…" Blitz and Jersey continued.

"In Christ alone… I place my trust… and find my glory in the power of the cross… in every victory… let it be said of me… my source of strength… my source of hope… is Christ alone…" all the Rovers blended together.

"No guilt in life… no fear in death… this is the power of Christ in me…from life's first cry to final breath… Jesus commands my destiny…" Colleen's lyrical voice sang.

"No power of Hell… no scheme of man… shall ever pluck me from His hand…till He returns or calls me home… here in the power of Christ I'll stand…" everyone sang with all their might.

"Wow… I love that song more and more every time we play it," Hunter said.

Hours seemed to fly by as songs and stories filled the evening. Before it could even be realized, Master Shepherd's watch signaled that it was nearly midnight.

"My goodness… time certainly does fly when you're having fun. It's right at midnight!" Master said.

"Indeed…I hate to leave a wonderful night, but sleep sounds very good right now" Professor Hubert said with a yawn.

"I agree with you, Professor. It has been a great evening, guys. See you all in the morning," Hunter said as he ducked into his tent.

"Goodnight everyone and pleasant dreams," Colleen said as she followed right behind her husband.

"I think we all agree. Goodnight, Rovers," Master Shepherd said.

With that, Shag and Blitz put out the fire and lit the battery-operated lanterns in case anyone had to get up during the night.

Everyone was nestled in their respective tents and had quickly fallen fast asleep. Truly, they lived in paradise.

A few hours had passed and all that could be heard was the water lapping at the shore and the familiar rumble of Exile's snoring, which everyone had pretty much gotten used to after so long.

Hunter's eyes opened groggily as his bladder alerted him of its need of release. He slowly unwrapped his arms from around Colleen's waist and exited the tent. He followed the glow of the lanterns as he made his way just inside the complex to the restrooms.

Unbeknownst to him, however, a dark figure lurked in the shadows… waiting for him. The mysterious intruder gripped his fingers around a powerful sedative suppressant as the seconds seemed to be hours before his chance would present itself. Right before his patience wore out, the door to the bathroom opened.

Hunter walked back toward the outside door, unaware of the danger behind him. Without warning, the stranger grabbed Hunter around his neck and pulled him away from the door.

"Hey! What the…?" Hunter began to protest until he felt hands gripping his throat.

"You'll do nicely…" the dark figure hissed as he unhooked the sedative from his waistband.

Hunter couldn't scream; all he could get out were a few muted growls and yelps. His vision was beginning to fade as the pressure around his neck increased. Suddenly, Hunter felt a sharp pain strike the side of his neck.

The dark figure released Hunter's throat and waited for the suppressant to take effect.

Hunter's knees buckled as he fell to the ground. His vision was blackening faster than before. Every muscle he had was going numb. Finally, he faded into unconsciousness as his body collapsed.

Morning broke out across the calm ocean scene as the Rovers continued on in slumber. The warm sun began creeping over the beach creating a dazzling effect across the dew-covered sand.

The light outside illuminated the space inside the tent Colleen was sleeping, unaware of Hunter's departure. The change in light caused the Collie to stir as she opened her eyes to another day. She turned over expecting to see her wonderful husband, but found his sleeping bag empty.

"'e must 'ave gotten up already," Colleen assumed.

Colleen stretched her back and grabbed her red robe before exiting her tent, hoping to find her husband drinking coffee by the fire. Upon exiting, she found everyone else up and around the fire, except Hunter.

"Mornin', Colleen! Sleep alright…?" Jersey asked.

"Yes… I say… 'ave any of you seen 'unter?" Colleen asked.

"He's not still asleep…?" Blitz questioned.

"No… I thought I'd find up already," Colleen answered.

"Maybe Comrade went insideski early for shower…?" Exile proposed.

"No, 'e showered before we came outside last night," Colleen explained.

"That is odd for Hunter. I'll look around inside for him to be sure," Master said as he ventured back inside.

"This is a might unnerving. 'untie always lets me know where 'e is," Colleen said with a worried look as she took a seat next to Jersey.

"It's prob'ly nothin', Honey. Here… a little coffee'll help," Jersey said, handing her a mug.

"Thank you," Colleen replied as she nursed the beverage slowly.

Blitz sat silently with his eyes closed in thought. Something wasn't right; he just couldn't put a finger on exactly what though.

"Blitz, are you alright, meine Kind?" Frieda asked, seeing her son unusually quiet.

"I agree vith Colleen… something doesn't feel right," Blitz said.

"Like what, Blitz…?" Greta asked.

"I… I don't know. I vish I did," Blitz said as he hung his head in defeat.

"Vhat about dhat spirit guide of yours…? Can't she help?" Abel asked.

"Madame isn't a genie inside a lamp, Abel. She vill appear vhen it is dhe right time. I do vish it vas different at times," Blitz explained.

"ROVERS… REPORT TO THE CONFERENCE ROOM…" Master's voice echoed over the intercoms.

"I am not liking soundski of Master's voice, Comrades," Exile said with concern.

Everyone ran inside, hoping their concern was all in vain. Unfortunately upon entering the conference room, they saw Master standing on his balcony with security camera footage playing on the screen.

"Master…" Colleen spoke up.

"Colleen, you should sit down. Rovers, there has been a major breach of our security. Watch…" Master Shepherd said as he replayed the camera's footage from just a few hours ago.

The video began with Hunter entering the complex around three o'clock that morning and using the restroom. Before exiting, a mysterious, dark figure manifested out of thin air and stood just on the edge of the darkness out of view.

Colleen gasped as the reality of where this was heading hit her like a ton of bricks. Her knees became weak as the tape continued.

When Hunter exited, the dark figure attacked Hunter from behind and held an unusually strong hold on Hunter's throat. Normally, Hunter could have broken out of this easily, but there was something strange about this intruder.

"No…" Colleen squeaked as tears began forming in her eyes.

As her husband struggled with this dark figure, she watched as a sedative was injected into his neck. Hunter struggled to remain conscious, but eventually succumbed to the effects.

Jersey noticed Colleen about to collapse and went to her side and forced her to sit down before she fell. Colleen was shaking with so many emotions she couldn't decide which one to be.

What happened next shocked everyone… the mysterious figure knelt down next to Hunter's unconscious body and placed its palm on Hunter's chest. Within mere seconds, they were both gone.

"What… who… how…?" Colleen rambled as the last frame played.

"I wish I could answer that, Colleen. Rovers, this is serious. Hunter is most likely in grave danger," Master said.

"Where can we even be possibly starting, Master? This is being very weirdski," Exile commented.

"I know, Rovers. The only option I could even suggest is to go and visit Confuse-Us. He may can give us a better handle on this," Master suggested.

"Yes, Master. Rovers, suit up quick. We've got to get to the bottom of this," Colleen said.

"AAARRRRROOOOO!" the other Rovers responded.

The flight to see The Great Dog, Confuse-Us, was an eerily silent one. Ever since their encounter with dark occultist practices in Germany when the German Chancellor was abducted, just the nature of how Hunter was taken sent shivers up and down everyone's spine.

After engaging the auto-pilot, Colleen was lost in a haze of thoughts. Who was behind this? Why did they need Hunter? Where did they take him? Was he alright? What power did the stranger possess? How did he get past their security system?

Exile watched the tornado of questions whipping through Colleen's mind as her face showed great fear and concern. He placed his paw on her shoulder to try to comfort her.

"Comrade, Hunter is going to be dokie-okie," Exile soothed as he broke the silence.

"I only 'ope so, Exile… I 'ope so…" Colleen trailed off as she hung her head.

"Destination arrived… please prepare for landing…" the Sonic Rover's GPS system recited.

As the large jet landed at the base of the familiar mountain, the Rovers began their trek up to the highest summit to hopefully find the answers they so desperately needed.

Confuse-Us sat upon his pillow in his typical meditative pose as the Rovers finally reached their destination. Everyone knelt down as Colleen approached the revered canine.

"Oh Confuse-Us, we come seeking your wisdom," Colleen addressed respectfully.

"You bring the cocktail weenies…?" Confuse-Us asked as he appeared to spring to life.

"Yes, sir…" Colleen said as she pulled a small box from her backpack and presented it to him.

"Oh good… now, what can I do for ya?" Confuse-Us said as he set his payment to his side.

"Great Wise Dog, Hunter has been taken from us by some dark figure with strange powers. We came hoping you knew of such powers if they were to exist and 'ho would possess them," Colleen explained.

"Describe the powers you witnessed, Colleen," Confuse-Us asked.

"This fig'ah seemed to possess unusual strength. 'unter couldn't over-power 'im or even begin to struggle when we saw the foo'age one of our security cameras captured. We also assume tha' this fig'ah can phase through solid objects because none of our security alarms were ever triggered. After 'unter was shot with a seda'ive, the fig'ah made himself and 'unter disappear into thin air," Colleen continued.

Suddenly, Blitz felt a familiar presence with him. He turned around to find Madame standing next to him with a very concerned look on her face.

"Vhere have you been? Hunter's been…" Blitz began.

"Abducted… I know," Madame said mournfully.

"Who took him?" Blitz asked.

"This isn't a battle that can be fought with flesh and blood this time, Blitz. Greater powers are at work here," Madame said.

"Vhat do you mean…?" Blitz asked.

Outside their conversation, the Rovers noticed Blitz's eyes fade to white as Colleen finished explaining what she and the other had seen.

"Hmmmmmmmm…" Confuse-Us pondered to himself.

He had seen this before; rather he knew WHO this was. He cleared his mind and began to enter a trance so he could see if he was correct in his assumptions.

"Do ya think he knows what's going on…?" Jersey asked.

"I am hoping so, Comrade," Exile said.

Back inside Blitz's spirit mind, the argument had escalated.

"It will be detrimental if I tell you the entire story right now. It will only make things worse!" Madame protested after revealing a small part of what she knew.

"Worse…? Worse dhan my best friend being kidnapped and possibly tortured right now…? Vhat sense is dhis making, Madame?" Blitz exclaimed.

As the confrontation continued, Confuse-Us faded into their consciousness.

"I knew it had to be you, Madame," Confuse-Us stated.

"Confuse-Us…!" Madame exclaimed as she embraced the small canine.

"Confuse-Us, she knows vhat's going on… vhy Hunter vas taken… and she von't tell me dhe whole story," Blitz fumed.

"Madame, is it Alma?" Confuse-Us asked plainly.

Madame released Confuse-Us from her embrace and turned her head away. Even being a free spirit, regrets from her past still haunted her.

"Yes… it is. This is my fault! I should have dealt with this sooner!" Madame burst out.

"Alma…? Who is Alma? Is she responsible for all dhis?" Blitz questioned.

"Easy, Blitz… Madame…?" Confuse-Us nudged.

Madame took a deep breath as she began unfolding her past.

In the real world, the rest of the Rovers observed as Confuse-Us and Blitz seemed frozen in place, obviously not present with them.

"I wonder what's goin' on in there…" Jersey asked aloud.

"I am hoping it will be getting us to finding Comrade Hunter soonski," Exile said as took a seat on one of the stone ledges.

Colleen was staring out across the vast mountain range as her worry and concern grew. Shag noticed tears dripping down her face and dug around in his fur for a box of tissues. After locating them, he handed the box to her hoping to comfort her a little.

"Thanks, Shag…" Colleen said as she took the box and pulled a few out to dry her eyes.

Jersey walked up beside Colleen and put her arm around the Collie's shoulders.

"Hunter's gonna be just fine, Colleen. You'll see…" Jersey said with a smile that a friend gives someone that's upset.

"I wish I could believe you, Jersey. My senses want to agree, but my 'eart only feels pain. It's almost like I can feel when 'unter's 'urt," Colleen said.

Jersey fell silent and just embraced her friend, giving her as much comfort as she could.

Unbeknownst to them, Madame had just finished her story. Blitz stood with his mouth about to hit the ground and Confuse-Us with a look of great concern.

"I hoped nothing like this would ever happen. I thought she had moved on long ago. I know it is quite foolish to even ask your forgiveness," Madame said.

Blitz shook his focus back to the present situation and took a deep breath to rid himself of pointless outbursts.

"Madame, you told me not so long ago dhat bitterness was vhat held me back from my full potential. You did vhat you could do at dhe time. How could anyvun ask for more? I apologize for getting angry. I… I just don't want Hunter to hurt because I can't even imagine how it'll affect Colleen along vith dhe rest of us," Blitz said as calm once again took over.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Blitz. Unfortunately, Alma is not going to be an easy force to reckon with. She's extremely powerful. There is no limit to what she can do. Our best bet in defeating her is to fight fire with fire," Confuse-Us said.

"How is dhat, Confuse-Us?" Blitz asked.

"Let me handle that part, Blitz. Your power is the key to destroying her," Madame explained.

"So… dhis is basically using me like a vessel of sorts to defeat a paranormal force dhat alters any one person's reality by using dhe pure spectrum of my psychic energy to destroy her abilities thus ending her reign of terror," Blitz said, making sure he understood what Madame meant.

"Exactly…" Confuse-Us confirmed.

"Vhere do ve go from here?" Blitz asked.

"Alma's spirit resides in the same psychiatric facility that inflicted the tortures that eventually killed her body, the Bolet-Prin Asylum in Pennsylvania," Madame said.

"Thank you, Madame. I know it was difficult, but this must end," Confuse-Us said.

"I'm sorry for holding back. You must hurry!" Madame said.

"Well, Blitz, let's return to the real world, shall we?" Confuse-Us said.

Blitz nodded as he closed his eyes and faded away from the spirit world along with Confuse-Us.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Rovers were growing impatient as Confuse-Us and Blitz's physical bodies had remained still for over three hours.

"What the bloody 'ell is taking so long?" Colleen burst out.

"Easy, Colleen…! They're doin' all they can," Jersey said as she watched Colleen pace back and forth like a caged animal ready to attack the next thing that approached them.

Before Colleen could say another word, Blitz's eyes faded back to normal and Confuse-Us landed back down on his red pillow.

"WELL…?" Colleen nearly screamed.

"We definitely have a big problem. The figure you saw take Hunter was a paranormal force called Alma. She resides in the Bolet-Prin Asylum in Pennsylvania. It will best if you get there as fast as you can now. I will make my journey to your Headquarters and meet you back there," Confuse-Us stated.

"Is there more?" Colleen asked.

"Much more, my dear, but I assure you I will explain it all in full upon your return home. Please trust my wisdom," Confuse-Us pled.

"Yes, sir… Thank you, Great Wise Dog," Colleen said.

"My pleasure… now you better get to movin'," Confuse-Us urged.

"Let's go, Rovers!" Colleen said as she began racing down the mountain path to the Sonic Rover with the rest of the Rovers close behind.

As he heard the roar of the jet engines fade away, Confuse-Us reached underneath his pillow and dialed into the keypad. He held the phone up to his ear as he waited for the recipient to pick up.

"Hello…?" Master Shepherd's voice came through the receiver.

"Master Shepherd, I need to arrange some transportation," Confuse-Us stated.

Several hours had passed since they had left Confuse-Us and the entire plane was dead silent. Exile had located the mental institution and found out it had been abandoned over fifty years ago.

As fatigue began to wear on her body, Colleen turned to her team and heaved a sigh of worry.

"I'm going to lie down for bit, everyone. Let me know when we arrive," Colleen said as she entered the plane's sleeping quarters.

Everyone nodded in acknowledgement as she shut the door behind her slowly. Colleen collapsed onto the cot she and Hunter would share on their long mission flights and pressed the pillow into her face, willing herself not to start crying.

"'untie… please be safe…" Colleen thought as her body finally gave in to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Back at Headquarters, Confuse-Us had just arrived.

"Welcome, Confuse-Us. I wish this meeting could have been under better circumstances," Master Shepherd greeted.

"I am honored to finally see you in person, Great Wise Dog," Professor Hubert said.

"Thank you and I agree. This is evil beyond all imagination. Do you have an enclosed space of some type? No windows, ventilation, or any other kind of opening…" Confuse-Us asked.

"Yes, follow me. Its the virtual training simulator," Master said as he punched in his code to unlock the protected space.

Confuse-Us walked in and took a look around the room. All types of computerized devices littered the walls and control panel. The wizened canine shook his head. Alma could easily cause these devices to malfunction and burst into flames.

"Is there a way to clear out all this electronic stuff? The force we're dealing with can easily manipulate this and cause much harm," Confuse-us explained.

"I can disable to power to this area and remove the hard-wiring from the walls and sockets. Will that be enough?" Master asked.

"Yes, that should prevent any unnecessary injuries… as long as the device is void of as much power as possible," Confuse-Us said.

Master Shepherd and Professor Hubert quickly disabled every device, control board, and light from its power source along with cutting the main power switch to the sensitive room. Professor Hubert lit his pocket flashlight so they could somewhat see where they were.

"Do you have candles? That is the only light source we can afford to make us of. Any other kind of device… there's no telling what Alma can make it do," Confuse-Us said.

"Alma…? Who is she? What are we looking at?" Master Shepherd asked.

"Master Shepherd, you and Professor Hubert better prepare for the worst. All Hell is about to break loose…" Confuse-Us warned.

Meanwhile back with the Rovers, Colleen felt her body being gently shaken. Her body fought to stay asleep where the nightmare of reality could not haunt her, but unfortunately the sound of Jersey's voice finally brought her back into the real world.

"Colleen, GPS just said we're gonna land in about ten minutes. Come on… wake up…" Jersey coaxed gently.

Colleen groaned as she sat up on the edge of the bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Thanks, Jersey. 'ow long was I out?" Colleen asked as she and Jersey walked back to the main area of the plane.

"For about three hours, girl…!" Jersey said.

Colleen took her place back at the pilot's seat as she looked over the GPS readout to see where they were about to land.

"Blimey… this is odd. I can't see any roads going to this place. It's like it was meant to stay hidden," Colleen commented.

As the jet landed just inside the perimeter of the abandoned complex, everyone looked through the windshield at the foreboding buildings. Upon exiting the aircraft, the Rovers readied their individual side-arms and began walking close together toward what appeared to be a formally large dorm complex.

"This place is super freaky…" Jersey whispered.

"Da… I am feeling not too easy about this," Exile added.

"Shag, you and Muzzle stay here. We all have our ear pieces in just in case we need backup. Let's go." Colleen ordered, readying her pistol.

The Rovers approached the double doors and slowly swung them open only to be greeted by dead silence. As they entered, the creepiness factor only continued to grow. Dust clouds and cobwebs hung everywhere, wheelchairs and gurneys stood still as they had for decades, clipboards and dozens of patient records were strewn about the floor like the staff had just up and left everything, and a disgusting smell of decay permeated their sense of smell.

"Exile, can you see much of anything? All I can see is the space in front of me feet," Colleen asked.

Exile's eyes began glowing light green as he observed their surroundings, trying to get a grip of what had gone on here. The Rovers continued walking slowly until Exile's foot hit something solid that didn't feel like wood or metal.

"MOTHER RUSSIA!" Exile screamed as he peered down at his feet.

Exile backed away quickly nearly knocking Blitz to his knees.

"EXILE! VHAT'S WRONG?" Blitz asked as the Husky's sudden outburst had startled everyone.

"A bo… bod… body… dead… body…" Exile stammered.

"A body…? Where…?" Jersey asked.

"Right in frontski of me…" Exile said as he calmed down.

"Easy now, Exile, look again and tell me what it looks like," Colleen said gently.

Exile took a few deep breaths as the smell of rotted flesh and decay had nauseated him severely. He reactivated his night vision and looked again the corpse he had just tripped over.

"It is being very small… like little child… and the head is goneski," Exile said.

"Is it male or female?" Blitz asked, fearing the answer.

"It is little girl…" Exile said as sadness overcame the sickness in his stomach.

"Nein… it has to be…" Blitz thought.

"Let's keep movin', everyone," Colleen said.

"_Help me…" a voice whispered through the air._

"Did any of you just hear dhat?" Blitz asked as his pulse began to pound.

"What is it, Comrade?" Exile asked.

"I just heard Hunter's voice… calling for help!" Blitz exclaimed.

"I didn't hear a thing, Darlin'. Did any of you?" Jersey asked.

"Everyone be quiet for a minute and listen…" Colleen said as she closed her eyes, hoping they were close.

The Rover stood as still as they could as they craned their ears in every direction for some sound or voice.

Nothing…

Blitz dropped his shoulders in defeat. He knew what he heard. Why couldn't they hear it? Exile put his paw on Blitz's shoulder as silence seemed to be the only thing anyone heard.

"It is being dokie-okie, Comrade. Maybe it was…" Exile began.

Suddenly, Exile was cut off as a loud crash came from above them dropping something heavy onto the group of canines, covering them in something sticky.

"Ewwwww gross…!" Colleen said as she felt the sticky substance on her face.

"Mein Gott… dhe smell…" Blitz lurched back in disgust.

"What in the HELL was that?" Jersey exclaimed.

"Comrades…" Exile squeaked as his eyes had turned to night vision.

"What…?" Jersey replied.

"Another body fell out of ceiling… on us… we are all coated in… bloodski…" Exile said as he choked on the revelation.

"What in the bloody Hell is going on 'ere?" Colleen questioned silently.

"_Help me…" __the voice said again._

"Hunter!" Blitz shouted as he broke away from the others and flew across the foyer.

"Wait!" Colleen, Jersey and Exile shouted.

Blitz flew through the halls, dodging stretchers, wheelchairs, and various pieces of rusted hospital furniture to the source of the voice.

"This way…" Madame's voice rang through his mind.

Blitz shot up to the top floor and burst out of the stairwell. Suddenly, his vision became grainy and yellow as he looked ahead and saw the hallway coated in blood.

"Vhat the…?" he thought briefly.

_"HELP ME! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Hunter's voice rang out._

"Hunter!" Blitz shouted, running towards the end of the hall as his vision returned to normal.

As he peered through the last door in the hallway, he saw Hunter strapped to a chair, completely naked and covered in so much blood that his fur had turned to crimson.

"Nein…!" Blitz shouted as he blasted the door open.

He ran up to Hunter and checked for a pulse…he was still alive!

"Vhat did they do to you!?" Blitz thought as he cut Hunter out of the ropes binding him to the chair.

Once he had freed him, his vision again faded to the grainy yellow hue he had seen a few moments before he discovered Hunter and saw a more disturbing scene.

"_We'll make this one the most powerful one of them all," a doctor said as he uncovered a tray holding all kinds of tortuous devices from scalpels to spiked batons._

_The doctor picked up a large scalpel as began walking toward Hunter as other people wearing scrubs tightened the area of Hunter's chest. The doctor drug the blade across Hunter's sternum area slowly as blood began gushing out._

"_AHHHHHHHHHH…!" Hunter screamed as loud as he could._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! HUNTER!" Colleen screamed, looking at the horrible scene, bringing Blitz out of his horrible vision.

Jersey held her back as Exile ran into the room. Colleen buried her face in Jersey's neck, praying she was only dreaming.

"Mother Russia! Is he still alive?!" Exile panicked, coming over to Blitz.

"He's barely hanging on! Exile, get Colleen and Jersey back to dhe Sonic Rover. I'm taking a short cut!" Blitz explained as he grasped Hunter's hands around his neck and rocketed out of the large gaping hole to the outside.

Exile, Colleen, and Jersey raced out of the building while Blitz brought Hunter's limp body back to safety.

"Madame… Madame…?" Blitz called out in his mind for his guide.

No answer…

Once Blitz landed, Shag and Muzzle rushed over and helped him load Blitz into the plane. Exile and the girls arrived shortly after and boarded the plane to try and start bringing Hunter back to life.

Before he stepped foot onto the loading the plank, Blitz's vision faded to red as he looked back to the building they had just exited and saw the place consumed with fire.

_A small form stepped out of the fire and it became clearer and clearer that is was a little girl with long black hair and an evil stare that almost pierced through Blitz's soul. _

_She pointed at Blitz with one lone finger and said, "He shall be my vessel…" _

Suddenly, the vision was interrupted with Exile's booming voice.

"Comrade, please to be getting in plane!" Exile shouted.

Shag had placed Hunter on the seat with Colleen, placing his head on her lap. Jersey went right to work tending to what wounds she could.

Blitz activated the View-Comm and dialed in the frequency for Master's office as Exile piloted the Sonic Rover back home as fast as he could.

"Hello… Blitz…? What's going on? Have you located Hunter?" Master asked.

"Master, look…" Blitz said as he stepped aside so Master could see Hunter's dire condition.

"What happened? How bad are his injuries?" Master questioned as worry filled his voice.

"I found him strapped to a chair nude covered in blood. He vas most likely tortured. I don't know how bad. Ve are just trying to get him home as fast as ve can go," Blitz explained as tears ran down his face.

"Professor Hubert and I will be standing by to get him into surgery as soon as you get home! Be safe, my pets…" Master's voice trailed off as the View-Comm faded to black.

Colleen was in so much shock she was shaking uncontrollably. She held her face close to Hunter willing him to wake up.

Jersey was not much better. What kind of monsters could do this? Suddenly, Jersey's face shot towards Blitz.

"Blitz, can't you just heal him, like you've done before?" Jersey asked hopefully.

Colleen perked up, hoping this nightmare could end right now. Blitz sunk to his knees in defeat.

"I'm sorry… for some reason I can't. I called for Madame hoping dhe same ting… but she's not vith me… Colleen…Hunter… I'm sorry… I don't know vhy…" Blitz explained as a few sobs escaped.

"It's not your fault, Blitz. Huntie… please wake up, Love… please be alright…" Colleen said as she cried into Hunter's chest.

In what seemed like world record time, Exile landed the Sonic Rover back inside the vehicle hangar at Headquarters.

As the boarding plank lowered, Blitz and Exile carried Hunter out to the gurney Master and Professor Hubert had waiting for him.

"Hurry…! Colleen, I need you and Jersey to scrub up. We're going to need all the help we can get!" Master said.

Colleen and Jersey nodded and raced off to the surgical suite ahead of Master so they could be on standby.

The rest of the Rovers headed to the decontamination showers to rid themselves of the blood and gore they had been coated with.

As the hot water coursed through his matted fur, Blitz pounded his brain trying to find a reason he could no longer feel Madame's presence.

"Vhy didn't she come?" Blitz asked silently for what seemed like the millionth time.

As he stepped out of his stall, he wrapped a towel around his waist and entered the locker room for a change of clothes. His heart never felt heavier.

Eventually, Shag, Muzzle, Exile, and Blitz found their way to the den area of their home. The Doberman family immediately embraced them, knowing the horror they had just experienced.

Blitz collapsed onto his padded carpet in front of the fire as Frieda handed him a cup of peppermint tea to calm his mind.

Exile was sunk into his accustomed place, a plush hammock swing in the corner of the room, as the look of pain the worry told on his face.

Shag and Muzzle had nestled close to the fire as they waited for any word on Hunter.

The only sound that keep silence from giving Blitz a headache was the crackling of the fire and the occasionally snore from Shag. Those horrible visions… the little girl… it began to weigh heavy on his mind.

Frieda couldn't stand to see her son so distraught, but she knew that he would talk about it when he was ready. She pulled him closer to her and eased his head onto her lap. She began softly massaging his head to try and ease some of the strain. Blitz let out a groan of acceptance of his mother's touch as he tried his best to calm his nerves.

Exile rocked back and forth in his hammock, the motion slowly putting him to sleep. Suddenly, he felt one of his bare feet grabbed gently. He looked up and saw Elise beginning to massage his foot. She never said a word, but continued slowly relaxing his foot. It was difficult to admit, but Exile had a soft spot growing for the female Doberman ever since the day he met her.

Shag was sound asleep. It was his usual reaction to stress, which seemed to work just fine.

Muzzle's head was on the carpet, but tears were all around his eyes. Greta had knelt beside him just stroking his head. Hunter was his best friend… had been since day one.

For what seemed like an eternity, the remaining Rovers waited for Master to return. Blitz heaved a deep sigh, which broke the silence that had been in the room since they entered.

"Blitz…?" Frieda asked, looking at her son's face.

"I feel like dhis is my fault, Mutter. I couldn't heal him vhen I found him," Blitz began.

"Do you have any idea vhy…?" Frieda asked gently.

"Nein…" Blitz whispered as he tried to stop the flow of tears.

"Shhhhhh, meine Schatz, shhhhhhhh," Frieda comforted.

"Comrade, none of us could have been knowing anything about this. This… thing… caught us off guardski," Exile reassured.

"Ever since I saw…" Blitz began.

"Vhat did you see, Blitz?" Abel nudged.

"I saw… visions… visions of Hunter being tortured and dhen…" Blitz started as fear gripped him.

"It is alright, Bruder… ve are here," Brutus said putting an arm around Blitz's shoulders.

"I saw a little girl. She vas… she vas pure evil. She looked at me and told me Hunter vas her vessel. After dhat, Madame vas gone. I can't feel her presence anymore," Blitz finally revealed.

Before anymore was said, Master Shepherd, along with Professor Hubert, Colleen, and Jersey, entered the room.

"Master, is Comrade Hunter…?" Exile began.

"You're lucky you found him when you did. He's stable, but still critical. He lost almost every ounce of blood he had," Master Shepherd explained.

"Dhere's more…" Blitz stated, giving Master a firm look.

Everyone braced for the worst as the waited for Master to continue.

"There is more to Hunter's condition then we anticipated. His entire body was covered in lacerations that went through several layers of muscle, one that almost punctured through the abdominal wall. He had several broken facial bones, which tells me he was severely beaten. There were jagged puncture wounds through his palms most likely made by driving a dull nail through slowly. There was also evidence of… sexual torture…" Master said.

"Nyetski…" Exile whispered.

"How severe…?" Greta asked.

"Horrendous…" Colleen sobbed as she fell to her knees.

Jersey picked Colleen back up and helped her to the couch as the other females surrounded her.

"There were no traces of bodily fluids. The scarring around his rectum suggests he was forced with a blunt object. He almost bled out internally and... He was nearly castrated," Master finished.

The males just grit their teeth in sorrow and rage. What monster could possibly enjoy taking away a vital part in any male's life?

"There also appears to be massive psychological trauma as well, not just from the physical torture. The readings from the scan we performed are quite unclear. We won't know till he wakes up for further study," Shepherd finished.

"All we can do now is hope. He on full life-support right now," Professor Hubert said.

"As for the rest of you, I think it would be for the best to stay together. There is no telling what could come of this," Master said.

"Indeed… Hell itself has entered here," a voice came from the hallway.

"Confuse-Us…?" Blitz questioned.

The small dog entered the room and placed his signature red pillow on the stone bench of the fireplace. He nestled into a meditative pose before looking back at the sea of confused faces.

"Vhat are you talking about, oh Vise Vun?" Weis asked respectfully.

"When you all came to see me earlier, you observed Blitz and I go into a trance. We met in the spirit world with his guide, Madame," Confuse-Us said.

"Blitz… dhose visions you saw… could dhey give us anyting?" Frieda asked.

"What visions…?" Confuse-Us asked.

"When we arrived at the Bolet-Prin Asylum you sent us to, I kept hearing Hunter calling for help. Finally, I followed his screams and Madame's leading to vhere I found him. I saw dhe hallvay covered in blood, dhen vhat dhese perverted doctors did to him and vhen ve were about to take off I saw the entire place burning and a little girl with long black hair look at me and tell me Hunter was going to be her vessel. After dhat, Madame vas gone. I can't feel her anymore. Vhat does it all mean, Confuse-Us?" Blitz explained.

"I feel like we're in the middle of a horror movie," Jersey said.

"That little girl you saw, Blitz, was Alma. The short version… Alma is a paranormal entity who at one time was human. She was a government experiment used for testing the effects of psychic weaponry. When her physical body gave out, her spirit lashed out on those who had harmed her. Over the years, her blood lust just continued to grow out of proportion," Confuses-Us said.

"Vhat does Madame have to do vith all dhis? Vhere has she gone?" Blitz asked.

"Madame is so much more than just your spirit guide, Blitz. Madame, herself, is an entity who never was human, but her purpose is for the sake of those in the physical world. She helps those, such as yourself, break barriers to discover hidden potential that would benefit the physical world around them. However, she also serves in helping those who have left their physical body move on to the spirit world," Confuse-Us explained.

"I think I am understanding you, Comrade Confuse-Us. When little Alma died, Madame came to help her to spirit world," Exile said.

"But vhy did she not move on…?" Frieda asked.

"Alma's spirit was still so angered by how she had been treated in life that Madame could not control her. Alma refused to let go. Because of what Madame is, she could not force Alma to cross over. She had to allow her to return to the physical world. Now, her spirit seeks revenge," Confuse-Us finished.

"Where does tha' leave us now? 'ow are we supposed to defeat her without Madame?' Colleen asked.

"I believe that will be easier than we think. Madame feels just as you all do. Blitz, go and search for her. I believe you know where she is," Confuse-Us said.

"Huh…?" Blitz questioned.

"Remember the garden…?" Confuse-Us asked.

Blitz flipped through his memory bank and remembered the lush sanctuary he had first come in contact with Madame so long ago.


	3. Chapter 3

"I remember… but Madame vas dhe vun who brought me dhere. I've never been able to go dhere on my own… no matter how hard I concentrate," Blitz said.

"Hmmmmmmmm… looks like Madame has more secrets than we think," Confuse-Us said.

"It looks like our best chance at any other leads depends on when Hunter wakes up," Professor Hubert stated.

"I agree. Rest as much as you can, my pets. I will keep you posted if Hunter's condition changes during the night," Master said.

"Can I stay close to Hunter, Master?" Colleen asked.

"Yes, of course. Come with me," Master called.

Everyone else gathered blankets and pillows from their respective rooms and found a comfortable spot in the den.

Exile sunk into his hammock and fell asleep almost instantly. Elise crept in behind him and snuggled her back against his. She always felt safer being around the large Husky. Truth be told, Exile was comforted having someone beside him.

Weis and Frieda stretched out on one of the couch's pull-out beds as fatigue began to overtake them.

Shag was in the same curled-up sleeping position and everyone felt it best to "let sleeping dogs lie". Muzzle snuggled closer to the Sheepdog's long fur for warmth and security.

Greta, Brutus and Abel had rolled out their sleeping bags right in front of the fire, cuddling close to one another.

Confuse-Us made good use of his small size and curled up on his pillow letting the fire keep him warm.

Blitz and Jersey made use of the other sofa bed close to Weis and Frieda. Once they were settled, Jersey clung to her husband's chest as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. She quickly fell asleep and began to softly snore against his chest.

Blitz, however, could not find any way to turn off his mind to rest; so many questioned buzzed in his mind like a swarm of angry bees. Resolved to the fact that he was not going to be sleeping, he gently lay his wife down so he wouldn't wake her up and made his way outside to the garden.

"Madame, I don't know vhy you left me, but please come back. I need you… Hunter needs you… please…" Blitz pled inside his mind, hoping Madame would hear.

Meanwhile in the medical bay, Colleen had attached another hospital bed to Hunter's so she could lie down beside him. After fixing her blankets, she crawled underneath them and got as close to her husband as she could.

Hunter had so many tubes and lines hanging everywhere attached to the life support system that he looked like a Frankenstein movie experiment. Only the soft beeping of the vitals monitor and low hissing of the respirator could be heard.

Colleen felt like her heart could just break in half. Who would do this to her precious husband?

"My Love, please wake up… 'untie, don't leave me…" Colleen whispered into Hunter's ear as she gently nuzzled his neck.

Colleen softly ran her paw over Hunter's blood-matted face. Master said to wait until he could breathe on his own before ruffling him around to much with a bath.

Colleen took one of Hunter's paws and pressed her face into it, soaking up Hunter's rich scent she loved so much. The night of the beach camp-out played over in her mind as she recalled the sweet moment they spent right before they went outside. Tears rolled down her face as her body gave in slowly to fatigue and worry.

"I love you, 'untie…" Colleen whispered as she gently laid her head on Hunter's chest.

Outside, Blitz was sitting on a high branch of a pine tree overlooking the landscape of Headquarters. The cool night air was soothing to his body, but his mind was still in torment.

"Madame, please come back. Vhat is going on?" Blitz spoke aloud, hoping to hear an answer.

"I'm sorry, Hunter…" Blitz thought as he began to cry softly.

Suddenly, another vision began to surround him as the red hue from before returned.

"You cannot save him. He's mine!" The little girl said evilly, touching Blitz's face.

"Leave him alone, Alma!" Blitz demanded, trying to grab her.

"You cannot stop me. No one can stop me. My pain will be felt by all!" Alma said disappearing.

"Why? Where's Madame?" Blitz demanded.

"You will soon find out. You all will relive my nightmare whether by my hand or by the ones you love. Not even she can help you…" Alma said as she disappeared.

The vision ended as abruptly as it had begun. Blitz looked around and saw he was still on the tree branch.

"Vhy vould she say Madame couldn't help? I've got to try and find her," Blitz said silently.

He climbed down and sat against the trunk as he cleared his mind from the worry and concern.

"Madame, please come back. I need you. I can't do dhis alone. Please just talk to me…" Blitz called as his eyes faded to white and he entered his spirit consciousness.

Around six o'clock the next morning, Jersey awoke to find her husband missing. She looked around to see everyone else still fast asleep. Instead of waking everyone, she quietly got up and headed outside. She had a feeling that Blitz wasn't far away.

"Maybe Madame found him…" Jersey thought hopefully as she wandered out into the garden.

Soon, her thoughts were confirmed when she saw Blitz sitting Indian-style at the foot of a large pine tree with his eyes glowing white.

"I'd better tell Confuse-Us," Jersey thought as she went back inside.

Upon re-entering the den, she found the small canine sitting upright on his pillow with everyone gathered around him.

"What's goin' on?" Jersey whispered.

"I don't know. I voke up and saw him like dhis. Vhere's Blitz?" Abel said.

"He's outside. I found him in a trance too. You think they've both entered the spirit world again… like back at Confuse-Us' place…?" Jersey commented.

"Quite possible…" Exile said.

Back in the medical bay, Colleen had been up since about three just listening to Hunter's heart beat. It was slow, but at least it was there. During the night, his lung function became stronger and she was able to turn the respirator off.

Colleen eased off of the hospital bed and went to the sink and began filling a small basin with hot water. Without so many tubes in Hunter's body, she could at least get rid of the blood all over his face. With every stroke of the cloth, it seemed more and more damage was uncovered rather than washed away in Colleen's eyes. Puncture wounds, lacerations, scratches, swelling, bruising… she did her best to hold her tears in.

Unbeknownst to the outside world, Hunter was about to enter a realm he never thought he would understand.

Out of the darkness, a bright light pierced Hunter's vision. He grimaced as he held his hand over his eyes to shield them from the brightness. He began going towards it, not knowing what he was about to behold.

"Am I dead? Is this it?" Hunter asked silently with tears in his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt soft grass beneath his bare feet and the bright light had faded to warm sunshine. Hunter rubbed his eyes to adjust from the glare and looked around at the paradise he had entered.

It was a truly magnificent place. Lush greenery accented with fields of flowers surrounding a crystal blue river emanating from a waterfall only dreams could imagine… it was indescribable.

"Is this Heaven?" Hunter asked aloud.

"Not quite…" a sweet voice came from behind him.

Hunter turned around to find a beautiful woman clothed in a glowing white robe. Her rich brown hair was French-braided and accented with a bejeweled band across her forehead. She had a purple sash around her waist and a glowing purple pendant around her neck.

Hunter felt like he knew this figure, but he couldn't remember from where. His face was covered in confusion as this peaceful being approached him.

"Do you know who I am?" the figure asked.

"I feel like I do, but I can't remember. Where am I?" Hunter asked.

"I am Madame and you are in my sanctuary," Madame said.

"Madame…? Blitz's Madame…?" Hunter asked.

Madame nodded her head.

"If I'm not dead then why am I here?" Hunter asked.

"I had to bring you someplace safe. Your spirit is in danger back in the real world," Madame explained as she sat on her knees on the ground.

"What happened to me?" Hunter asked as he sat next to her.

"You do not remember…?" Madame asked, hoping she did not have to make him relive the horror he was put through.

Hunter thought back to his last moments of consciousness and a flood of pain and horror filled his eyes.

"No… NO…NOOOOOO…!" Hunter screamed as the torture returned to his memory.

Hunter drew his knees to his chest and began crying as the pain seemed to radiate throughout his body.

"Shhh… shhh… I'm sorry. This whole thing is my fault. Dear one, come…" Madame said sadly as she held her arms out to the poor retriever.

Hunter seemed to collapse to the ground, unwilling to move. Madame picked him up and held him like a mother would an upset child. With what Hunter had to endure, he had been reduced to nothing more than a scared pup in need of comfort.

"Why? Why…?" Hunter whimpered.

"Rest now… all will be right soon…" Madame soothed.

"Mom…? Mommy…?" Hunter cried.

Hunter continued to sob pitifully until exhaustion took its toll. Madame picked him up and carried him behind the waterfall where she laid him down on a bed made of soft wool. She sat beside him and reached for a small oil flask, which had been embellished with the sign of the Cross. She poured a small amount onto Hunter's forehead and returned the flask back to its original place.

"All because I had to follow the rules…" Madame said silently.

Inside Blitz's spirit conscience, he found himself searching endlessly for any clue that would help him find Madame. Strangely enough, the spirit world appeared to him as a large ring of trees, each holding a different portal to a separate realm.

He had just returned to the tree circle for the fifth time to choose another portal in hopes it would be the right one. He had just gone through the Realm of the Elements, the Shadow Realm, the Ancestral Realm, and the Underworld.

"Dhere has to be an easier vay…" Blitz thought momentarily as he took his claw and made a mark against the tree trunk he had entered so he wouldn't choose it again.

Before choosing another door, Confuse-Us appeared in the center of the circle to Blitz's great relief.

"Confuse-Us…! I'm so glad to see you," Blitz said.

"Same here…! Have you found anything?" Confuse-Us asked.

"Ja, four different spirit realms I do not care about revisiting. Ach die lieber I have such a headache," Blitz said, motioning towards the portals he had already taken.

"Have you tried this one per chance?" Confuse-Us asked pointing to another portal with the name "Realm of Hestia" engraved into the tree's bark.

"Who is Hestia?" Blitz asked.

"The name 'Hestia' means goddess of comfort and peace. Sounds like Madame to me…!" Confuse-Us said as he pulled the door open.

"Vhat is dhere to lose?" Blitz said as the two canines leapt into the portal.

Bright light surrounded them as they passed through the gateway. The bright light made Blitz's heart leap for joy. It felt like the same light he had seen when Madame found him.

When the light faded, Blitz opened his eyes and nearly shouted for joy. It was Madame's garden! It seemed even more beautiful than before.

"Dhis is it!" Blitz said excitedly.

"Wow! Now this is what I call a sanctuary," Confuse-Us commented.

"Madame! Madame! Are you here?" Blitz called.

For Hunter's bedside, Madame was startled hearing the Doberman's voice.

"Blitz…?" Madame came out from behind the waterfall and saw Blitz and Confuse-Us in her garden.

"Over there…!" Confuse-Us said pointing to the waterfall.

The two canines ran to where Madame was standing and fell at her feet.

"How did you get here?" Madame asked confused.

"It vas not easy… trust me. Vhy did you leave me vhen I found Hunter? I'm so confused," Blitz asked.

"I'm sorry, my dear one. I will explain. Please follow me. There is something you both need to see," Madame said sadly.

Confuse-Us and Blitz followed the beautiful lady back behind the waterfall to her healing place. She motioned for them to take a seat on the soft cushions she had set up in front of her as she settled next to the stone wall. She pulled a cloth cord and opened the thick fabric curtain concealing Hunter's form as he slept.

"Hunter…? How is he here?" Blitz asked.

"I brought him here," Madame said.

"Is… is he…?" Blitz stammered.

"Dead…? No… traumatized…? Yes…" Madame answered.

"Okay, Madame, where have you been? We need you so we can get rid of Alma," Confuse-Us said.

"I cannot…" Madame said plainly.

"Vhat do you mean?" Blitz asked.

"I'm not a genie, Blitz. I cannot just make things disappear on command. All I can do is be here for Hunter and for the rest of you as he recovers," Madame said as she rubbed one of Hunter's ears.

"What are we gonna do then?" Confuse-Us asked.

"Alma may no longer be physically human, but she is just as much one as when she was alive. Becoming a part of the spirit world when she did… only caused her more pain…" Madame said looking into the flowing water behind them.

"Vhat happened vhen you tried to help her, Madame?" Blitz asked.

"Because she had so much anger and hatred about her… a dark spirit attached to her and turned her into… a demonic force…" Madame explained.

"So… dhe evil I see in her is not really her, but dhe demon…" Blitz said.

"Yes. It feeds on her anger. If she would just let go…" Madame sighed.

"Wait… if we are dealing with a demon here and not some twisted little ghost girl… there may still be hope yet!" Confuse-Us said.

"How do you see that?" Madame asked.

"You mean you don't see it…? You're a spirit being and you don't know this…?" Confuse-Us said.

"Vhat…?" Blitz asked.

"Madame, you feel guilty because of the havoc the demon controlling Alma has done in the physical world… right?" Confuse-Us said.

Madame nodded sadly then realized where he was going.

"My… a demon has to have a physical vessel to cause destruction. It isn't Alma! If we can convince her to fight back and let go, the demon will have no choice but to return from where it originated!" Madame said happily.

"We found two bodies vhen ve found Hunter! Hunter was supposed to be dhe next. The demon must have been dhe vun dhat said Hunter vas going to be its vessel," Blitz realized.

"So… now that we know what we're dealing with, we can get a better grip on it back in the real world," Confuse-Us said.

"How are ve even going to get 'Alma' to come forward and dhen how are ve going to get her to fight back and vhat is going to become of Hunter?" Blitz asked.

"Let me care about Hunter. As long as he stays here, he'll be safe spiritually. Physically, I suggest when he wakes up to have his mother close. Mentally, he's nothing more than a scared, hurt pup, but don't underestimate the power a mother's care has," Madame said with a hopeful smile.

"Let's head back, Blitz. We have a lot of work to do. See you soon, Madame," Confuse-Us said.

Madame nodded as Blitz and Confuse-Us faded away back to their physical bodies.

Back in the real world, everyone was waiting anxiously for Blitz and Confuse-Us to return to reality.

"I hope dhey found out someting," Elise whispered.

"I am sureski they will have, Elise," Exile comforted wrapping his large arm around her shoulders.

Suddenly, Blitz wandered back into the den right as Confuse-Us came out of his trance.

"Vell…?" Greta nudged.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it is a lot more hopeful than before," Confuse-Us said.

"Like how…?" Jersey asked wanting more detail.

"Gather around… here is what we're gonna do," Confuse-Us said as he began to relay the solution.

Meanwhile, Colleen was quietly stroking Hunter's chest. Master had just come in to check on his vitals, but left soon after seeing there wasn't much left to be done.

Colleen ran her fingers along the edge of the sheets covering Hunter's body. She sat up and pulled them back so she could inspect his wounds to irrigate them from the caked and matted blood pools.

She refilled her basin with more hot water and slowly and gently began to soak his chest with the wet rag before trying to remove it. A part of her was slightly thankful Hunter was still unconscious. There was no doubt he would be screaming in pain and discomfort if he was awake right now.

As the crimson stain faded away with each rinsing, Hunter's gold fur began to emerge, but along with it came the edges of the gashes and holes that riddled his body. As she cleansed every part of him, Colleen lavished kisses on him hoping to take some of the pain away, more for her sake than it was for anyone else. When she reached his crotch, tears fell from the tip of her nose and ran down in between his legs. The gashes and stitches where Master had to reattach his testicles broke her heart even more. She only hoped that this entire ordeal wouldn't take Hunter's manhood from him, not so much for her needs but for his.

After clearing the dried blood away, Colleen couldn't help but kiss his crotch tenderly as she continued her work. She lifted one of his legs up so she could look at his other injury. It was disgusting. Blood was dried all around the entrance along with the stitches Master had sewn to close off the bleeding. It made her skin crawl as she thought of how much force was put behind the object that was rammed into him and how mercilessly they must have pounded it into him.

Once she finished cleaning him up, Colleen covered Hunter back up and cuddled him gently hoping for some response from him soon.

"Please 'unter…I love you…..don't go out on me…" Colleen said whispering, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Colleen could've sworn she felt Hunter's arm wrap around her, but she shook it off and went on to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

"So, lemme get this straight. In ordah tah get Alma to move on, we somehow have tah break the demon's hold it has over her spirit and then we'll be able tah deal with her anger," Jersey said.

"Precisely…! It's not gonna be easy, but not impossible," Confuse-Us said.

"Vhere do ve start vith all dhis?" Abel asked.

"First, when Hunter wakes up, we've got to take him inside an enclosed room. Master has already set up y'all's virtual training simulator and cut all sources of power," Confuse-Us began.

"And according to Madame, Exile, you and I need to head to Wyoming and bring Hunter's Mutter here. After vhat he had to endure, Madame said he's nothing more dhan a scared pup mentally right now," Blitz finished.

"Bolshoi…" Exile whispered.

"You two better get movin' on that. As for the rest of us, let's head down to the simulator and prepare for what's probably gonna be straight out of "The Exorcist"… but worse…" Confuse-Us warned.

Blitz and Exile manned the Cloud Rover and struck out for Wyoming. Exile took the pilot's seat as Blitz looked out into the horizon.

"How am I going to tell her? Vhat am I going to say?" Blitz pondered as he furrowed his eyebrows in slight pain from a headache.

Exile noticed the painful look on Blitz's face. He hadn't seen him so upset since their mission to rescue the German Chancellor. The Husky's heart felt like it was in the pit of his stomach.

"Comrade, what thoughtskis are swirling around in head…?" Exile asked quietly.

"Too many for me to be comfortable, Exile…I'm… I'm concerned," Blitz said.

"As am I, Blitz," Exile commented.

"Not just for Hunter… vhat are ve going to tell his Mutter?" Blitz said, revealing the struggle his mind was playing.

"I'm not to be knowing, Comrade. All we can be telling is truthski," Exile replied sadly.

"I still feel so guilty. Madame von't tell me vhy she isn't letting me heal him," Blitz said.

"Like you were to be telling uski at one time, Comrade, Madame has reason," Exile comforted.

"If it's a good vun, dhen vhy von't she tell me?" Blitz said angrily as he stared out the windshield with a locked-jaw grimace.

"I wish I could be doing the answering for you, Blitz," Exile said.

"Dhere are some days I vish I didn't have dhese abilities," Blitz said.

"Do not be saying thatski, Comrade! You've done so much goodski! Do not let this be any different!" Exile's voice boomed inside the small cabin.

"I know you're right. It's so much harder vhen it involves somevun so close," Blitz said as he hung his head.

Exile said no more and just gripped Blitz's shoulder in one of his massive paws in support. Blitz gripped the top of his paw in acknowledgement as the sudden alarm of the GPS system went off.

"Destination Wyoming arrived… please prepare for landing…" the GPS recited.

"Here we areski…" Exile said aloud as the Cloud Rover touched the ground.

Blitz took a deep breath as he and Exile exited the aircraft and began walking toward the farmhouse. The distant sound of lowing cattle and clucking hens was almost enough to put their minds at ease if it wasn't for the horrible news they were about to deliver.

Leona, a beautiful sapphire-eyed female golden retriever, raised her head from her place on the old wooden porch as she saw two figures approach her. She sniffed the air trying to get a sense of these new-comers until she recognized their scents… canine.

As Blitz and Exile came into view, she realized they were her son's friends. She got up to greet them until she noticed the saddened expressions on their faces.

"Where's my son?" Leona barked.

"I'm sorry, Miss…?" Blitz began upon realizing her didn't know her name.

"Leona… what's happened?" Leona whined.

"Leona, you need to come vith us. Hunter needs you," Blitz said.

Leona nodded as she followed the two back to the Cloud Rover. Blitz buckled Leona in between him and Exile as they set the course back for home.

"You didn't answer me. What's happened to my baby?" Leona barked rather perturbed.

"It isn't easy for me to even try to explain, Leona," Blitz began until a surge of sadness choked his vocal chords.

"Go aheadski…" Exile nudged.

"Hunter vas abducted from Headquarters a few days ago. Ve recovered him, but found him tortured and nearly dead. He's still in a coma, but is stable," Blitz explained.

"Who took him? Who did this to him?" Leona growled.

"Has Hunter ever told you of my abilities, Leona?" Blitz asked.

Leona nodded her head.

"Vell, my spirit guide, Madame, has told me dhat a demonic force possessing a little girls' spirit is responsible for Hunter's pain. She said Hunter is noting more dhan a scared pup inside his mind and he needs you now more dhan ever," Blitz continued.

"My little sunbeam… no… my baby…" Leona whimpered as tears ran down her face.

"However, I know ve are going to able to fix dhis. Confuse-Us has a plan to put everyting back right again so dhis von't happen to anyvun ever again," Blitz said surprisingly hopeful.

"Why did my only little boy have to be hurt though?" Leona whimpered.

"I don't know. I feel so guilty because I couldn't heal him or anyting vhen I found him. I promise I'll do all it takes to get Hunter back to normal," Blitz said as he looked Leona in the face.

"I believe you. Thank you both…" Leona barked.

"We are almost being back, Comrades," Exile said as he read the GPS screen.

Back in the ICU, Colleen was curled up by Hunter's chest.

"_I love you, 'untie…" Colleen cooed at her husband in between panting._

_And I you, my Jewel," Hunter whispered giving her cheek a loving lick._

_With one final thrust, Hunter filled Colleen with his love. The two canines were basking in a glorious afterglow._

_Hunter had made a full recovery within a few weeks and Master sent him and Colleen on a much needed vacation. Days were filled with relaxing activities. Nights were filled romance and a haze of sheets. _

_When Hunter found the energy to move, he rolled onto his back then turned so he could face Colleen. Colleen just lay her head back on her pillow and took in the glorious sight of her husband._

_He was so beautiful with his glowing golden fur and silky long tail. His definition was lean but extremely strong with well-toned muscles rippling all over. His length extended to about nine inches and was absolutely perfect. The kindness and caring behind the dark brown eyes he had made Colleen's heart jump for joy. _

_"I have a surprise for you….." Hunter said devilishly._

"_Mmmmmmmmmmm…" Colleen smiled._

_Hunter got up and Colleen watched as his golden glory strutted across the room toward the desk drawer. _

_Suddenly, Hunter fell to the floor and began to convulse violently. Colleen shot up and held him as still as she could._

"'_UNTIE!" Colleen screamed._

_Just as sudden as Hunter began convulsing, he dissipated into ash._

"_NOOOOOOOO…!" Colleen shrieked. _

_Then, the room was engulfed in flames and a little girl with long black hair emerged from the smoke. _

"_Sorry for the interruption…can't have you having too much fun now can I?" __she hissed._

_"Give him back!" Colleen demanded. _

_An entrance in the flame opened and Colleen saw a horrific scene: hacked, bleeding bodies and blood all over a hallway. It made her stomach turn, but she had to get to Hunter. _

"_My dreams are consumed by fear and so will yours as long as you're attached to this dog you love so," the little girl said sinisterly._

"'_untie!" Colleen shouted. _

_Hunter appeared before her and began to mutate… his eyes turned solid black, his face twisted and lengthened as the rest of his body morphed into a canine mutant from Hell…_

_"No… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!" Colleen screamed._

Colleen woke up in a cold sweat, still cuddled on Hunter's chest. She looked at the clock…

3:00 AM…

"What a horrible nightmare…! Who is that little girl? Is that Alma?" Colleen questioned in her mind.

Colleen looked at Hunter… his maul was open and a little drool was coming out. She smiled and closed his mouth, stroking his face. After such a terrible dream, she moved to get up and fix herself a cup of tea to rest her nerves. As she was about to get up, she felt a firm grip wrap around her wrist.

Colleen let out a gasp of surprise as she turned around to see Hunter slowly opening his eyes.

"'UNTIE! You're awake!" Colleen said, hugging his neck gently.

Colleen cried into his neck with joy. Hunter was completely silent as he embraced Colleen gently. Colleen raised her head up and noticed something was wrong. Hunter's eyes were dull and had none of the vibrant shine she was accustomed to seeing whatsoever. Hunter made no sounds the entire time she was embracing him.

"'untie? Can you speak?" Colleen asked.

Hunter said nothing as he looked straight at Colleen.

"Please say something…" Colleen pleaded.

Hunter put his head down and drooped his ears. Tears began running from his eyes down his muzzle and dripping off his nose.

"All tha' torture must 'ave caused him to lose his voice…" Colleen thought sadly.

Colleen went to page Master Shepherd, but Hunter refused to let her leave him.

"I just have to tell Master you're awake, Love. I'm not leaving," Colleen said with a little happiness.

Hunter shook his head and refused to let go. He tightened his grip on Colleen's wrist.

"I'm not going anywhere, 'untie… just let me…" Colleen began.

Hunter managed somewhat of a whine and tears began to fill his eyes. Colleen felt so broken to see her husband in such a state.

She scooted closer to Hunter so he would loosen his grip on her wrist. Hunter calmed down as he struggled to get as close as he could to her.

"It's alright, love. I'm here. Shhhhh…" Colleen whispered as she cradled his head next to her chest.

She felt the streams of tears wetting her shirt and palm of her paw as she wrapped her paw across his eyes.

With no possible way to get up and alert Master Shepherd or Professor Hubert, Colleen delved to her last option. She began howling as loud as she could to get anyone's attention.

Thankfully, Master Shepherd had just walked back down to the ICU and heard Colleen's howls almost immediately.

"Colleen…! What's going on?" Master asked.

"Master…" Colleen managed as she moved her paw away from Hunter's face.

Hunter opened his eyes as he adjusted to the new figure in the room.

"Hunter…" Master said in shock.

After the massive injuries, he wasn't expecting Hunter to be conscious so soon. In a way, he had hoped he would've stayed unconscious for a while longer till his wounds healed more to save him the pain.

"Hunter, I know it's hard, but can you tell me how you feel?" Shepherd asked tenderly as he removed his white coat.

After hearing Blitz describe the type of people that had inflicted this pain on Hunter, he thought it best to look as normal as possible.

"Master… he can't speak…" Colleen said.

"I see… I was afraid of this…" Shepherd trailed off.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Rover had just landed inside the vehicle hangar. Blitz unbuckled Hunter's mother, Leona, from her place as he helped her to the ground.

"Follow us," Blitz asked.

The golden retriever followed them into a stainless steel plated room with strange tube-like machines. Leona remembered very well where she was from when Hunter had come to fetch her for his and Colleen's wedding. To be able to walk and talk like a human could was so wonderful!

When the smoke cleared from inside the transformation chamber, Leona stepped out wearing a powder blue cotton dress and a white half-apron with sturdy work flats.

"Where is he?" Leona asked.

"In the ICU… come, we'll take you dhere," Blitz said as he led the way to the medical bay.

Inside the simulator, Confuse-Us along with the remaining Rovers had set up candles and secured every outlet and power source there was to be found.

As Jersey lit the final candle, everyone gathered around the small, but revered, canine awaiting further instructions.

"All we can do now is wait…" Confuse-Us said.

"I feel like ve're inside dhe mind of Steven King," Brutus said.

"Only worse…" Jersey added.

"Let's head on to ICU and see about Hunter. We need to get him in here as soon as he wakes up to keep him safe," Confuse-Us said as he scurried toward the door.

"Vhat could happen?" Frieda asked as they all left together.

"Only what nightmares could concoct, my dear," Confuse-Us said.

In the ICU bay, Master Shepherd had just finished unhooking the rest of the life-support system from Hunter's body save for the oxygen tubing. Hunter was cooperative as long as Colleen held him. If she made a move to leave, he began whimpering out of control and fought against Master even though weakly.

"Colleen, I would like to conduct an examination on Hunter to be sure his wounds are healing properly," Shepherd said.

Colleen nodded as she ran her fingers through Hunter's head fur. Master grabbed a pair of latex exam gloves and slipped them over his hands.

*knock* *knock*

Two soft knocks came against the door before Master could continue.

"I'll take care of that, Colleen," Master said as he exited the room.

Master Shepherd opened the door to see the rest of his precious pets gathered outside in the lounge area of the ICU bay. Suddenly, his eyes landed on Leona.

"Leona…" Master began.

"Can I see my baby, Master?" Leona asked as tears built at the corners of her eyes.

Master nodded as he opened the door behind him to allow her to enter.

"How's Hunter doing, Master?" Weis asked.

"He's awake, but in much pain…" Master said.

"As soon as we can, we need to get him to the simulator. There's no tellin' what can happen the longer he goes unprotected out here," Confuse-Us said.

"I understand. I still need to examine him to be sure he's healing… physically anyway. As soon as I finish, I'll bring him down," Master said.

"Vhat can ve do till dhen?" Elise asked.

"I suggest you gather what you'd need as far as necessities. We may be in that room a while. These things have no set time… could take minutes, hours, days…" Confuse-Us said.

"Let's goski, Comrades…" Exile said as everyone rushed off to prepare.

As soon as everyone left, Master slipped back into Hunter's room. As he clicked the door shut, he turned to see the cutest, yet saddest sight.

Leona had Hunter's head next to her heart while Colleen's hand was firmly gripped by Hunter's as he had brought it to his face. Colleen had her face resting on his shoulder as Leona rocked him back and forth.

"Hunter, I'm going to just look at your wounds, okay…? Just keep him calm, ladies…" Master said.

Colleen and Leona nodded as they kept still so Hunter wouldn't be alarmed. Master pulled back the sheets from Hunter's torso and began examining the wounds. He was thankful to find no infection or severe swelling, just some slight bleeding.

"We'll just need some fresh bandaging and pain relief ointment…" Shepherd said aloud.

Hunter was silent as he clamped his eyes shut. He turned his head into his mother's neck to further block out reality.

Master carefully tended to each wound as he applied the pain relief ointment and wrapped fresh gauze bandaging around each wound snugly.

"Alright, Hunter, I need you to lay down flat on your back. Can you do that for me?" Master asked gently.

Colleen and Leona eased him down while remaining as close as they could to keep him calm. Hunter allowed them to just hold on to his paws as they lifted his hips up and placed his back down onto a pillow.

"Now Hunter, I'm going to examine your genitalia. I'm not going to hurt you," Master said.

Master began examining Hunter's shaft only to elicit uncontrollable whines and whimpers from Hunter as he squirmed trying to get away.

"It's okay, my little sunbeam. No one's trying to hurt you," Leona soothed.

"You can trust Master. Don't you know tha'?" Colleen said.

Hunter began to tear up and looked at Colleen with frightened eyes.

"It's no use. The pain of the memory is too much for him right now," Colleen said.

"Then, you'll have to do this part, Colleen. He'll trust only you," Master explained.

Colleen nodded and said to Hunter, "I'm going to examine you, 'untie, and just trust me. I won't hurt you, I promise."

Hunter squeezed her hand and let her go so she could move. She put on a pair of latex gloves and took Master's place.

Colleen checked for infection around his shaft gently and only found some slight swelling.

"Only some slight swellin' around the shaft, Master…" Colleen said.

Master took note of it on his clipboard and Colleen continued.

Hunter had nudged his face behind Leona's head while she continued to stroked his ears.

Colleen moved on further and noticed Hunter's testicles were severely bruised and swollen. She tenderly rolled them around in her palm and was thankful to find them in place.

Hunter whined loudly as he gripped the sheets in pain. Leona held him a little tighter so he would move too much.

"Easy, Love, I know they 'urt bad…" Colleen soothed as she stroked his inner thigh.

Hunter nodded as he settled back down.

"Along with extreme pain, 'is testicles are severely bruised and swollen, but are in place. They fact that 'e can feel them is a good sign," Colleen said.

Master took note of the findings and nodded in agreement. As severe as the damage was, he was almost certain Hunter would have been castrated permanently.

"Okay, Love, I just need to lift your legs up so I can get a better look at your backside. I know it'll be a little uncomfortable, but I'm not trying to 'urt you," Colleen explained.

Hunter nodded in understanding as Master helped ease Hunter's legs onto Colleen's shoulders. Hunter flinched a little at Master's touch, but calmed down quickly when he saw him place his leg on Colleen.

The sight was still horrific even though the dried blood had been cleansed away. The stitches had dissolved, but the scars were also severely swollen and sore to touch. Colleen gently pressed around to get a full understand of how severe it still was.

Hunter only whimpered slightly from the soreness as Master eased his legs off Colleen's shoulders.

"There's still a lot of soreness obviously and 'is entrance is almost swollen shut," Colleen said as she removed the uncomfortable gloves and disposed of them.

"I'll draw up a little morphine to help with the pain and grab a few ice packs to help with some of the swelling down there. Then we can move him down to the simulator," Master said as he left the room.

Colleen removed the pillows from under Hunter's hips and covered his lower half back up with the sheet. Hunter reached for her and she wrapped her arms around his torso as the waited for Master's return.


	5. Chapter 5

Back down in the simulator, candles flickered as the Rovers rested on their makeshift beds and pallets. Truly, this had to be the worst situation they had ever had to endure. Only a miracle could end this living nightmare now.

Everyone was huddled close together for support. Frieda was nestled in Weis' arms which were wrapped around her shoulders tightly as she nestled against his chest.

Jersey was curled up in Blitz's lap with his arms enveloped around her as he leaned against the wall, both dozing lightly.

Abel and Brutus were holding each other up by sitting against one another's back as the eerie light from the candle flames cast a large shadow behind them.

Professor Hubert was lying against Shag snoring lightly from the lack of sleep for the past few days. Greta was lying on her stomach next to Muzzle and Shag, all trying to get a few moments of rest.

Confuse-Us took the down time to focus himself for the spiritual battle that lay ahead of them. He sat in the midst of the candle circle on his red pillow as the slight smoke from the burning wick seemed to dance around the room.

Exile had taken a seat by the door and was propped up against the wall fighting to stay awake. This was unlike anything he had ever endured in his life. Before finally succumbing to his body's demand for rest, he felt a soft nestle of silky curls rub against his shoulder.

Exile looked over to see Elise looking up at him with worry and fear filled eyes. Without a second thought, Exile wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him where she could lay her head on his chest.

Suddenly, the sound of soft knocking came right outside the sealed doors asking for entrance.

Exile got up and peered through the small eye-opening in the door and saw that Master had come down with Hunter, Colleen, and Leona.

"Comrades, they are being here…" Exile said softly.

"Let them in, Exile," Confuse-Us instructed.

Exile punched in the security code on the keypad and waited for the sealed opaque doors to slide open.

On the other side, Colleen and Leona were walking on either side of Hunter helping Master guide the gurney in the room. The dose of morphine Master had given Hunter instantly put him to sleep, which made it easier to put ice packs around his lower injuries without him squirming.

Once access inside was granted, they slowly pushed the gurney inside and positioned it in the center of the candle circle with Confuse-Us.

"Alright, I'll need him off the gurney. Some of you put some blankets and pillow on the floor," Confuse-Us instructed.

Everyone readily sacrificed their comforters and pillows to lie beneath Hunter. As soon as the pallet was fixed, Abel, Brutus, Blitz, and Exile hoisted the four corners of the sheet Hunter was currently lying on and gently lowered him to the floor.

Colleen and Leona covered him up and sat beside him in case he was to wake up after all the activity. Everyone returned to their places they had been at previously and just looked upon their leader and best friend lie motionless save for the soft breathing.

Master locked the room down and put the entire complex on high security just as a precautionary measure.

Colleen's eyes were tearing up again as she looked into Hunter's face, wishing she could just hear his voice again.

"I thought Hunter woke up, Master…" Jersey stated.

"I gave him a mild dose of morphine to ease the pain he's experiencing and he passed out soon after that. He should wake up soon," Master informed.

"Did he say anyting?" Weis asked.

"With all the torture and only god knows what mental trauma, Hunter cannot speak. He would barely accept my presence. When he wakes up again, I suggest all of you, save for Colleen and Leona, keep out of his sight for now," Master explained.

"Vill he be able to speak again?" Greta asked.

"It's hard to say, Greta. It could just be days, but it could be months even years before he's able to speak again. All we can do is keep him comfortable and be there for him as he recovers even after this force is defeated," Confuse-Us added.

Shag and Muzzle whimpered together in sadness as they slumped to the ground almost in mourning.

Inside Hunter's mind, his eyes began to flicker open. He felt like he was lying on a bed of some sort, but couldn't remember how he got there. As he gained his bearings, he looked around him and saw he was in a warm, inviting bedroom with the flowing water of a waterfall for one of the walls. His body felt like it was wrapped in the softest cotton he had ever felt. He looked across the room and saw the same beautiful figure he had encountered what seemed like an eternity ago seated on a plush cushioned pouring some type of drink from a golden kettle.

"Good to see you returning here…" Madame said softly.

Hunter felt so weak. He couldn't even muster the strength to say anything. Madame came over to his side and ran her hand over his head, spreading the oil she had anointed him with through his fur.

"Here… this will help…" Madame said as she raised a small dish with a small spout to his lips.

Hunter didn't resist or try to refuse. He sipped the fluid from the dish slowly as he let the warmth of his soothe him. The taste was sweet and smooth, like milk sweetened with honey. Flashbacks to when he was a newborn pup began to play across his memory. The softness and warmth of his mother's gold fur… the comfort her milk gave to his body… the soothing sound of her heartbeat…

When the last drop hit his tongue, Madame pulled the dish away to see his reaction. It took a moment, but Hunter began whimpering like a pup in need of nourishment, which is what she was hoping to see. She filled the small dish again and put it back to Hunter's mouth.

Without hesitation, Hunter suckled from the dish's spout to fill the craving his body now had to satisfy his hunger which was now ravenous.

After what seemed like hours, Madame put another dish full of the sweet elixir to Hunter's lips again only have him turn his head away. He was finally satisfied. Madame smiled in approval.

Drowsiness once again fell over his eyes, but Hunter fought to stay in the comfort of this place. Madame noticed the struggle and ran her hand across his face.

"It's alright… rest…" Madame said softly.

Hunter finally succumbed and drifted back to the real world as his eyelids collapsed hard. Madame closed him behind the thick curtain veil to keep him safe as she headed out to her garden.

Suddenly, a gush of black smoke manifested before her, taking Alma's form.

"You…! How did you get in here?" Madame demanded.

The little girl laughed demonically.

"Surely, you haven't forgotten about me, Hestia?" a dark voice emanated from the little girl's spirit.

"No… NO, LOPRIM!" Madame said.

"Oh good… you still remember your dear brother…" Loprim said.

"You stopped being my brother when you began possessing human spirits for your own sick pleasures!" Madame said.

"Sick… that's a little harsh now, dear sister… I look at it as putting my ability to control to good use," Loprim said darkly.

"Get out, Loprim! You're not welcome here!" Madame ordered.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hestia! I'm not leaving till you give me that little doggie you're so protective over!" Loprim said from within Alma's spirit.

"Never…! You'll leave him be! Alma, fight back. He doesn't have to control you!" Madame said.

Loprim screeched in anger and launched Alma's form forward pinning Madame to the ground.

"Now that I have a covering of innocence, Hestia, I can come and go as I please," Loprim hissed.

"Maybe so… but you can't touch those whom I protect," Madame said.

"Oh… that sounds like a challenge, Hestia…" Loprim said.

"Not a challenge… a promise…" Madame said sternly.

"Let's just see about that," Loprim said as he transported himself and Madame to the room where Hunter's spirit was being protected.

Upon arriving, Loprim screamed in sheer agony.

"AHHHHHHHH…! I'm burning! HOW did you…?" Loprim began as he writhed in pain.

"I am the essence of goodness and purity, Loprim. You're evil and defiled. This soul is protected by the Higher Power," Madame said.

"You may have his spirit, but his body can still offer up a few thrills," Loprim said as he disappeared.

"No… I've got to contact Blitz," Madame said as she re-entered the room.

Back in the real world, Hunter started to stir causing everyone to jump in surprise as they scurried back into the darkness so Hunter would stay calm.

Hunter slowly opened his eyes. He realized he was no longer in the peaceful sanctuary of Madame's garden as the pain from his wounds began growing.

Leona ran her hand over Hunter's face so he would know she was there. Colleen kept a firm grip on his hand as the candlelight illuminated just the area around them clearly.

Hunter turned his face up to his mother as he accustomed his eyes to the light of the room. A little of the sorrow had left his eyes, but it was still heart-breaking.

Hunter whined for his mother's attention as the pain of his body became unbearable. The grimace on his face was enough to bring everyone to the brink of an emotional breakdown. For Hunter to show pain meant it was extremely severe.

Leona nuzzled the top of his head as a few tears from the pain dripped down the side of his face. Colleen stroked the top of his hand softly with her fingertips. Hunter gripped her hand tightly.

"What now, Confuse-Us?" Master whispered as low as he could to the small canine.

"I know it's difficult, but we've got to get this force to come out. If I understood Madame correctly, this demonic force will not give up," Confuse-Us answered.

"How are we going to defeat a demonic force?" Professor Hubert asked lowly.

"Right now… I'm not sure. I can try all the tricks I know, but I have a feeling that they won't remedy the problem," Confuse-Us answered.

Suddenly, Blitz's eyes began glowing in the pitch black room. His body took a seat on the floor where he was standing, but his spirit was far away.

"Looks like Madame has a message… hope it is something that'll help us," Confuse-Us said.

"Blitz…! Are you there?" Madame called out.

"Madame, vhat is happening?" Blitz asked as he entered his spirit mind.

"The demonic force that has possessed Alma's spirit is named Loprim. He's relentless and vile. You'll have to use every ounce of energy you have to defeat him. He's coming to finish what he started with Hunter," Madame said in a rush.

"Ve are inside the simulator vith no power or vay to dhe outside except the vun sealed door. Vhat should I do right now?" Blitz said.

"I'm sure Confuse-Us is prepared with every ritual there is for expelling dark spirits and such, but remember when you defeated the cult back in Germany…" Madame said.

"Ja, of course I do…" Blitz replied.

"Alma is still a scared, hurt little girl even though Loprim has completely taken over her will, but she is still there. Look at her like she was your own child. Show her the love she never received in life," Madame said.

"How..?" Blitz whispered in shock.

"That I can't say… you have to bring it out of your heart," Madame said.

Blitz nodded in understanding.

"Vhat about Hunter…?" Blitz asked.

"Deal with Loprim first, then we can help Hunter overcome this much faster," Madame said.

"Any suggestions for how we can bring Alma to dhe surface and vhat everyone else should do?" Blitz asked.

"Like I said, treat her as if she was your daughter… as for the others tell them the same. The more everyone feeds her desire for love and attention, the more likely she'll fight back," Madame said.

"Danke, Madame. I'd better head back," Blitz said as he faded back to reality.

"Be safe, dear one, be safe," Madame thought.

Back on the outside, even was tensely waiting Blitz to come out of his trance. Hunter was clinging tighter and tighter to Leona and Colleen as the pain worsened. Only whines and whimpers could be heard, but everyone knew they should be agonizing screams.

"Easy, my little sunbeam, Mommy's here… it'll be over soon…" Leona soothed.

Blitz's eyes faded to normal as he shook his vision back into focus.

"Anything…?" Confuse-Us asked.

"Ja… Madame said dhat the evil dhat is controlling Alma is called Loprim. She said to encourage Alma to fight back ve have to show her dhe love she never received in life… just like any child," Blitz explained.

"Like vhen you all saved the Chancellor last year…!" Elise said happily.

"JA, exactly, but she also said Loprim is relentless and dangerous. She said he's coming back to try to finish vhat he started. Ve must prepare ourselves quickly," Blitz said turning towards Confuse-Us.

"Loprim… this definitely isn't going to be good. Here… everyone take one of these…" Confuse-Us said as he passed around cross emblems that had been anointed with holy oil.

Confuse-Us snuck one to one of Leona's hands so Hunter wouldn't see him quite yet so she could place it on him without him getting agitated.

"Now, we all need to surround Hunter and interlock hands or arms. We are going to need to give Blitz all the support we can. Leona and Colleen, you can stay where you are. I need you to just concentrate your energy on Hunter," Confuse-Us instructed.

Everyone quietly encircled Hunter and interlocked their arms together as they braced for the worst possible scenario.

Hunter rotated his ears around as he heard the shuffling in the darkness, but surprisingly stayed calm seeing Leona and Colleen still there and unalarmed.

Confuse-Us quietly emerged from the darkness and began walking toward Hunter. He had to keep a hand on him at all times for strength in case something started going very wrong.

Startled by the new presence, Hunter began violently squirming and whining to get away.

"Easy, Hunter, easy… Remember me… Confuse-Us… easy…" Confuse-Us attempted to calm him.

Hunter just stared at him blankly and began shaking in fear.

"Hunter, its ok… watch…" Leona comforted.

Leona held out her hand to Confuse-Us so Hunter could see he meant no harm to him. Hunter began to shake less and less as the small canine approached him closer. Leona reached for the paw Colleen was holding as she transferred to keeping her hands on his shoulders. She smoothed it out so Confuse-Us could place his paw right in the dead center of the wounds, but cause him no pain.

Hunter twitched and writhed to get away, but realized this was causing him no pain. As Confuse-Us gently touched each one of his fingers, Hunter began to respond by squeezing his hand around Confuse-Us'.

"See now… Confuse-Us is a friend… he only wants to help…" Leona whispered.

Hunter nodded as he finally relaxed against Colleen's front, allowing Confuse-Us to take his hand and lay it before him so he could be in close contact.

Every relaxed a bit more seeing their friend starting to respond more, but knew a long battle lay ahead.


End file.
